The material on Exile, the second ECM album by singer/poet Sidsel Endresen, had its genesis in a commission from the Molde International Jazz Festival 1993. Working outward from the lyrics, using them as the basis for a larger form, Endresen conceived a series of linked songs, connected by atmosphere and theme that she was to title "Pagan Pilgrimage". Some musical ideas were communicated together with the lyrics to the co-composers she had chosen for the task; other pieces she developed herself, in collaboration with the arranger for the whole work: Morten Halle.
Audience reaction to "Pagan Pilgrimage" was extremely positive, and the Norwegian press seconded the crowd's emotions. Terje Mosnes, in leading daily Dagbladet, spoke of "seventy-five minutes of beautiful music, with evocative harmonies and dissonances and surprising melody lines". Mosnes continued: "Only an artist with strong musicality and vocal control can allow herself to choose such a naked, vulnerable form as she does, and still make the listening experience so gratifying and rich."
However, a successful stage presentation does not necessarily translate effortlessly into the recorded medium. In the studio (Oslo's Rainbow studio), the decision was taken to depart from the larger form of "Pagan Pilgrimage", and concentrate on the separate pieces. Some sections were excised altogether, new elements were added, including improvised pieces by Endresen and David Darling. The album, then, is presented as a collection of songs – lyrics by Endresen – music by Django Bates, Jon Balke, Jon Eberson, Darling and Endresen herself – grouped under the title Exile. ecm
Tracklist
1 Here The Moon 2'29
(Sidsel Endresen)
2 Quest 6'31
(Jon Eberson)
3 Stages I, II, III 7'46
(Django Bates)
4 Hunger 6'25
(David Darling)
5 Theme I 2'11
(Sidsel Endresen, David Darling)
6 Waiting Train 3'50
(Jon Eberson)
7 The Dreaming 4'37
(Jon Balke)
8 Dust 7'59
(Jon Eberson)
9 Variation III 3'10
(Jon Christensen, David Darling)
10 Theme II 2'31
(Sidsel Endresen, David Darling)
11 Exile 8'08
(Sidsel Endresen)
Credits :
Sidsel Endresen - Voice
Django Bates - Piano, Tenor Horn
Nils Petter Molvaer - Trumpet
Jon Christensen - Drums, Percussion
David Darling - Cello
Jens Bugge Wesseltoft - Keyboards
15.7.22
SIDSEL ENDRESEN - Exile (1994) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless
31.5.21
DAVID DARLING - Cycles (1982) APE (image+.cue), lossless
Cellist David Darling, best known at the time for his long stint with Paul Winter's Consort, mostly performs spacy ballads on this ECM release. Teamed up in different combinations (three unaccompanied solos, a duet, two trios and a quintet number) with Collin Walcott (who doubles on sitar and tabla), pianist Steve Kuhn, Jan Garbarek (on tenor and soprano), acoustic guitarist Oscar Castro-Neves and bassist Arild Andersen, Darling and his sidemen give the music a wide variety of sounds. However, the sleepy mood is very much in the stereotypical ECM mold, making this set mostly of interest for selected tastes. by Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1 Cycle Song 7:09
David Darling
2 Cycle One: Namaste 4:11
David Darling / Jan Garbarek
3 Fly 9:25
David Darling
4 Ode 6:55
David Darling
5 Cycle Two: Trio 5:30
David Darling
6 Cycle Three: Quintet and Coda 7:52
David Darling
7 Jessica's Sunwheel 5:21
David Darling
Credits :
Bass – Arild Andersen
Cello, Cello [8-string Electric] – David Darling
Guitar – Oscar Castro-Neves
Piano – Steve Kuhn
Producer – Manfred Eicher
Saxophone [Tenor, Soprano] – Jan Garbarek
Sitar, Tabla, Percussion – Collin Walcott
22.4.21
RALPH TOWNER - Old Friends, New Friends (1979) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless
Due to the very interesting grouping of players -- guitarist Ralph Towner, who also performs on piano and French horn; trumpeter Kenny Wheeler, cellist David Darling, bassist Eddie Gomez and drummer Michael Di Pasqua -- and six of Towner's better originals, this is one of the guitarist's best in a long string of ECM recordings. Wheeler adds fire to the music that is tempered a bit by Darling's mellow cello. An intriguing set well worth several listens. by Scott Yanow
Tracklist:
1 New Moon 7:27
Ralph Towner
2 Yesterday and Long Ago 7:51
Ralph Towner
3 Celeste 4:53
Ralph Towner
4 Special Delivery 7:03
Ralph Towner
5 Kupala 8:04
Ralph Towner
6 Beneath an Evening Sky 7:00
Ralph Towner
Credits:
Bass – Eddie Gomez
Cello – David Darling
Design – Barbara Wojirsch
Drums, Percussion – Michael Di Pasqua
Producer – Manfred Eicher
Trumpet, Flugelhorn – Kenny Wheeler
Twelve-String Guitar, Classical Guitar, Piano, French Horn, Composed By [All Compositions By] – Ralph Towner
+ last month
RAGTIME BLUES GUITAR — Complete Recorded Works In Chronological Order 1927-1930 | DOCD-5062 (1991) RM | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless
The emphasis is on inventive blues/ragtime guitarists on this CD. First there is a previously unreleased alternate take of Blind Blake playi...